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Rees-Mogg urges Brexiteers to trust Boris Johnson on Brexit negotiations

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Rees-Mogg
Britain's Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on October 3, 2019 after a meeting of the cabinet. - Prime Minister Boris Johnson published his "final" Brexit proposals, warning EU leaders that Britain will walk out without a deal on October 31 if they do not accept his terms. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES / AFP) (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images)

Arch-Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has said compromises over Brexit “are inevitable” as he seeks to get leavers to trust Boris Johnson.

Rees-Mogg wrote in The Telegraph today that Brexiteers must get behind any deal the prime minister strikes with the European Union in a message aimed at members of the Eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG).

Read more: Brexit talks intensify as bid to thrash out a deal with Brussels continues

He urged ERG MPs that they must trust Johnson to not give too many concessions to the EU in negotiations.

“In the final stages of the Brexit negotiation, compromise will inevitably be needed, something even the staunchest leavers recognise, albeit unwillingly – but, as a leaver, Boris can be trusted,” he said.

“He wants to take back control and has dedicated his political career to this noble cause.”

Johnson met with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar on Thursday, with the pair indicating “they could see a pathway to a possible deal”.

Johnson will meet with French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker this week to try and hammer out a final Brexit deal.

Rumours have been swirling in recent days that a new Brexit agreement with Brussels may leave Northern Ireland in a customs union with the EU.

MPs from the Democratic Unionist Party and the ERG have said in the past they would not vote for this under any circumstances.

Home Secretary – and Brexiteer – Priti Patel said today that it would be “unacceptable” for Northern Ireland to be treated differently from the rest of the UK.

ERG chairman Steve Baker remained tightlipped about what his caucus of MPs would accept from the latest round of Brexit negotiations.

“I’m going to speak to [Rees-Mogg] today,” he told CityAM

“Right now everyone should relax and wait to see what appears in the text [of a revised withdrawal agreement].”

Rees-Mogg refused to say what concessions may be necessary while speaking to Sky News today.

In the past he has dismissed the notion of Northern Ireland being treated differently to the UK as “completely cretinous”.

However, today he admitted he may have to “eat his words”.

Read more: Sterling blasts past $1.26 as EU leaders welcome Brexit progress

“There’s a line from Churchill saying that he often had to eat his words and he found it to be a very nourishing diet – and that is something that happens in politics,” he said.

“We’ll have to find out in a day or two whether I’ll have to eat my words or not – time will tell.”